Vienna, 13 December 2017: WBCSD’s Global Network partner in Austria, respACT Austrian Business Council for Sustainable Development, celebrated its 20th anniversary as leading platform for sustainable business in the country.

A special event hosted by Austrias Chamber of Commerce gathered a wide range of respACT stakeholders across the business community and government.

respACT President Ursula Simacek, CEO of SIMACEK Facility Management Group, looked back on two decades of organizational highlights. She also underlined the importance of political suport for corporate sustainability networks in the country, backed by robust dialogue among stakeholders. Her speech was accompanied by remarks from Peter J. Oswald (CEO of Mondi Group), Daniela Knieling (Managing Director of respACT), and Heinz Felsner (Vice President of respACT).

For his part, Peter Bakker, President and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), highlighted the importance of strong and visionary business leadership in view of leveraging the opportunities for innovation and inclusive economic growth embedded in the Sustainable Development Goals agenda.

Finally, Federal Minister Harald Mahrer drew the linkages between sustainable and responsible business conduct and Austria’s competitiveness, arguing that institutions such as respACT play an important role in advocating such a message.